1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a patterning device, and more particularly, to a patterning device that can generate heat and perform large-area patterning.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Photolithography normally used to form a micro/nano-sized pattern has a shortcoming in terms of resolution, because the widths of patterns that can be formed are limited to about 100 nm due to the interference of light. Also, a lithography method having the same or a lower resolution has problems of high costs, complicated processing, and somewhat limits the usability of flexible substrates or organic materials. To solve such problems, various unconventional lithography techniques such as nanoimprint lithography (NIL), capillary force lithography (CFL) using a capillary force, and selective dewetting using a dewetting phenomenon of a polymer film were proposed.
Unconventional lithography is a technique of making a replica using a mold and normally refers to a technique that uses a mold made of a polymeric material such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyurethane acrylate (PUA) to replicate, on a polymer thin film, a pattern engraved on the mold. For example, the NIL method replicating the pattern at a temperature equal to or greater than the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymer thin film is a representative unconventional lithography technique.
However, since the NIL cannot apply pressure uniformly on an entire region of the polymer thin film, patterning over a large area is difficult to achieve. Also, since the entire region is heated to increase the temperature to the Tg of the polymer of interest, the substrate may be damaged by temperature and pressure or the polymer thin film may be deformed by heat, and thus, the process is difficult to apply to a large area.
To solve those problems related to a large area, thermal nanoimprint lithography using a halogen lamp to thermally enable a step-and-repeat process was proposed, but it has a problem of large (electric) power consumption, and a metal screen and a heat sinker are always required. In addition to such a thermal method, step-and-flash imprint lithography (SFIL) using ultraviolet rays (UV) was proposed. However, since quartz is used as the mold, it is difficult to engrave a pattern on the mold, any air bubbles generated inside the quartz are difficult to remove, and demolding is difficult due to the rigidity of the mold itself.